Photo credit: facebook/Hakeem Jeffries
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is facing fresh questions about his leadership as he prepares for another bid to become House speaker. Public heckling, pressure from progressive Democrats and growing calls for changes to U.S. policy toward Israel have added to the debate.
However, Jeffries does not yet have a declared challenger. As of Thursday, Nov. 12, several Democrats said they expected him to remain the leading candidate.
Jeffries faces questions about the speaker race
Several Democrats have ruled themselves out of the contest. Rep. Jamie Raskin said he is not running and plans to support Jeffries. Rep. Ayanna Pressley has also privately told colleagues she does not want the position, according to multiple House Democrats. Her spokesperson said she remains in active discussions with Jeffries.
Jeffries believes another candidate could emerge within the next week. Meanwhile, House Democrats will hold their leadership elections Nov. 18. He is expected to secure the nomination through a simple majority.
However, the bigger test comes Jan. 3. That is when the full House will vote on its next speaker. Some Democrats could withhold their support, even if Jeffries wins the party nomination.
Progressive Democrats turn up the pressure
Jeffries is also facing growing criticism from incoming lawmakers. Several have received calls and emails urging them to oppose his leadership.
One incoming member described the messages as overwhelming. Another said she receives hundreds of calls each day. Jeffries disputes claims that lawmakers have faced an overwhelming campaign.
Still, he has started meeting with members who have raised concerns. Those discussions include representatives from North Carolina and a group of incoming progressives.
The pressure became public during a conference in Denver on Friday. Hecklers interrupted Jeffries at the What’s Next post-midterm conference. They criticized his political positions and private equity funding. Jeffries responded by dismissing the confrontation as minor.
Hegseth vote adds to the leadership debate
The public criticism followed a failed effort to advance impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Eleven Democrats missed Tuesday’s vote. Republicans then defeated the measure by 211 to 204. Some absent lawmakers cited traffic, while another report said Rep. Lou Correa missed the vote after experiencing a heart attack and undergoing surgery.
Jeffries must also address growing concerns about U.S. policy toward Israel. During a Thursday news conference, he called for major changes involving the West Bank, Gaza and the military aid agreement with Israel.
The current agreement provides $38 billion in military assistance from fiscal 2019 through 2028. However, Jeffries did not explain whether he supports reducing defense cooperation.
He also addressed a proposal from Rep. Susie Lee to limit committee leaders to four terms. Jeffries welcomed further discussion, but stopped short of endorsing the plan. Rep. Gregory Meeks opposes the proposal.
For now, Jeffries remains the leading candidate for speaker. However, whether every Democrat will support him in January remains uncertain. The coming weeks could reveal how much influence progressive lawmakers have over the party’s next leadership decision.
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